“Awww, you got matching tattoos. That’s so sweet.” Arthur admired the details and asked about the significance.
“It’s for Aunt June. She always wanted me to get a tattoo,” my mate told him.
“That’s a beautiful tribute. She would have loved it.”
My dragon snoozed through dinner, and for the first time in eight years, I wasn’t wondering about my future because it was right in front of me.
THIRTEEN
PAX
The porch boards creaked under my weight as I handed Dray another piece of lumber. We'd been at this for two hours, replacing the rotten section he'd identified weeks ago.
I thought back to the day I’d followed him around the house and he’d made a list of what had to be repaired. I didn’t know dragons existed, and Dray was just the hot contractor I was lusting after. He was also the guy that kept accidentally soaking me with coffee and water.
I’d asked him if wetting me was deliberate in order to see my tattoo, and he said he didn’t think so. But he wondered if his dragon didn’t put something in motion. His beast denied it, not that it mattered now.
“That’s the last one.” Dray fit the board into place. “Can you grab the drill?”
I twisted my body toward the toolbox and was hit with a wave of dizziness. I gripped the railing and waited until it passed.
“Are you okay?” Dray’s hand was on the small of my back.
“Yeah. I just whirled around too fast.” I smiled to convince him I was fine.
My mate gave me a look. “Why don’t you take a break and get some water?”
“I’m okay, love.” I handed him the drill.
My mind wandered as Dray worked, and I thought back to two weeks ago when I’d witnessed the family shifting at the clearing. Though they did that regularly, it was special because it felt like a welcoming ceremony.
“Pops texted me this morning. Your folks want to know if we’re going to Sunday dinner.”
He told me getting the whole family together on Sunday night was a tradition, but it was up to me if I needed a break from them.
“No, I’d like to go.” It was odd because while I was close to my own family, I’d never liked being smothered with constant meetups and attention. And yet my mate’s family was always getting together to shift, for parties and barbecues and regular meals.
I bent over to pick up a screwdriver Dray wanted, and my head spun again. I was being as clumsy as my mate was the first few times we’d met. Putting a hand to my head, I reached out to him to steady me.
“You need to take a break.” He led me inside and sat me on the couch. “And you have no color in your cheeks.”
Dray sat beside me, and I accepted the water he gave me. I hadn’t wanted to admit that I’d been experiencing nausea for a few days, and while my mate was asleep in the middle of the night, I’d lain awake beside him. And I’d lost my appetite, but I’d pushed the food around on my plate so Dray didn’t notice.
Wanting to get away from the subject of my health, I told him I had to think about getting a job. Though Aunt June had left me a small nest egg, I wanted to keep most of that for emergencies.
The unpacking was done and Dray had moved in, and other than the few remaining repairs, my days were easy, with readingand spending time with my mate. It was perfect for a newly mated couple, but going forward, I needed to be busy.
“But I don’t want to return to a mindless job in a cubicle, pushing paper, attending pointless meetings, and listening to people complain about their lives.
“I have an idea. It’s not exciting, and you’d be working alone. ”
“Interesting. Tell me more.”
“It’s for a guy who can’t organize his way out of a paper bag. His invoices are piling up, and the filing system is whatever’s on top of the pile. The guy needs someone to organize the office so he can focus on his work.” He added that it could be temporary or full-time, and I could work from home some of the time.
“Okay, give me his deets and I’ll arrange an interview.”
He winked. “You’re hired.”
